I'm not sure whether I should be looking for a spike of both nitrates and nitrites at this point, nothing in the tank appears wrong, the MTS's haven't climbed out of the water, the plants are beginning to grow. Should I carry on feeding ammonia, or do a huge water change to reduced the nitrate, or both?]]>Sat, 23 Sep 2017 08:13:42 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cycling-a-new-tank-for-shrimps.50670/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cycling-a-new-tank-for-shrimps.50670/DeanneDeanne3Watch: The struggle of an Amano larva becoming a shrimp!https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-S3FwfLrLBsV3J3UWJVOWdaUGc

Sorry for crappy video quality, there's a few moments in the video where focus is clear enough to see what's going on.

I have a new batch of around 3000 larva on the go since the 4th of September - so hopefully next month I'll have at least 500 shrimp, if not more!]]>Sat, 23 Sep 2017 08:12:24 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/watch-the-struggle-of-an-amano-larva-becoming-a-shrimp.50733/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/watch-the-struggle-of-an-amano-larva-becoming-a-shrimp.50733/HiNtZHiNtZ4Snail infestation - HELP!
I have a planted tank and a couple of months ago added a new plants, since then I have been gradually infested with what look like mini ramshorn snails. I think they are starting to eat at my plants which is my big worry, does anyone have any advice for me? I started picking them out but there are hundreds of them all in amongst my MC which makes this an impossible task.

I have some 'white stuff' which I don't have a decent pic of but it is appearing on the unplanted soil and glass, below is a thread I put out a few weeks ago which might help with some kind of related photos.https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/strange-white-stuff-what-is-it.50666/]]>Fri, 22 Sep 2017 10:13:21 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/snail-infestation-help.50805/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/snail-infestation-help.50805/Andrew ButlerAndrew Butler8Bugs you might encounter in your aquariumhttp://www.aquaticquotient.com/
Creator: marle (as given permission to post here)

Copepods are small and funny looking one eyed crustaceans. They usually move around the tank glass and other surfaces, usually with one short leap at a time. Harmless, cute, there's lots of different coloured species. Females carry 2 egg pouches on their tail.

Control - Complete eradication is all but impossible. Proper aquarium maintenance and filtration will keep their numbers down enough to be unapparent. Providing a good current, even without filtration, will also keep the Cyclops in check.

Notes - Cyclops are generally harmless to all but the tiniest of fish fry. (Guppy and Cichlid fry need not worry.) In fact, Cyclops are an excellent "first food" for those young fish capable of catching them and consuming them.

Water fleas are usually used as fish food. They are tiny crustaceans and are easily recognized of their jerky vertical "swimming". They are completely harmless and really interesting creatures. I call them fat, sad reindeers (well, they look like it ).

Seed shrimp are tiny seed shaped crustaceans. They are usually a bit bigger than Copepods. They move in a same fashion as Copepods, eating all kinds of nice things from the glass/plant/etc. surfaces and you can see them walking inside the substrate too. Sometimes they swim in open water looking like drunken bees. Here's a really young CRS baby looking at a seed shrimp. Really cute, harmless.

Control - Complete eradication is often unsuccessful, except for larger species, which seem more fragile. Regular aquarium maintenance and proper filtration usually keep the populations down to unapparent levels.

Because of their structure, Ostracods are extremely resilient against toxins. By closing the two shells, they can survive extended amounts of time in the presence of medications and pesticides. Even if they die, the shells serve to protect the unborn young until conditions are right again.

Since freshwater limpets, Acroloxus lacustris, are so small and also move really slowly, it might be hard to identify them as snails. They are small and can't do much damage to plants, but since they are small, it's impossible to find and remove eggs and the baby snails. Harmless.

Something that looks a bit similar are Nerite eggs. They are singular, white, hard, round or oval shaped and about 1 - 2 mm in diameter.

Red, yummy worms (used as fish food too) which live inside the substrate. If disturbed and dig up, they will form a ball, if left alone, they will gather pieces of sand/gravel around their body forming a sort of tube where they live in and they'll stick their head out of the substrate looking like red hairgrass. If there's lots of them, the substrate is too dirty and might be good idea to do something about it. Only a few Tubifex in the substrate isn't anything to worry about though. They are harmless.

Control - Only manual removal or being eaten by a fish can be recommended.

Notes - Unless deliberately added to an aquarium, large Annelids such as earthworms are rarely found in aquaria. Aquatic species can survive for quite some time in the gravel. Terrestrial species usually die within a day. Even a single larger dead worm can cause severe disruption to the water quality of the tank. Unless eaten, they should be immediately removed before they die or burrow into the ground. Their use as a fish food is acceptable as long the worms do not manage to escape into the substrate.

Nematodes
Size: 0,1 - 0,3 cm, max. 0.1 inches

Nematodes are small, thin, white/transparent free-living roundworms and the "swim" moving themselves in a wave like pattern (well, forming an S shape). If disturbed, they will swim around wriggling briskly. You can find them from the substrate and they are the ones that might appear from the filter when you turn it on. These ones are harmless, but as with any other "pest", if there's too many of them, you are either overfeeding or just not keeping the tank clean enough of debris, decaying plant matter.

Control - Proper tank maintenance (water changes, vacuuming the substrate, avoid excessive feeding) will keep the numbers down to unnoticeable levels. Copper treatments are effective, but should be used with caution. Nematodes are eagerly eaten by small fry and shrimp.

Notes - Most often, when an aquarist sees a Nematode, it is a simple scavenger, and of no harm to fish or plants. However, parasitic species exist. The general rule is if the fish and plants appear healthy, the worms are harmless.

Non-parasitic flatworms. Crossed-eyed grossness, just pure yucky! The only small creature I dislike (I get shivers down my spine even thinking about them). If you split it, it will regenerate and you will end up having 2 planaria. There seems to be several different colours in the common ones found in aquariums, transparent, white, brown and red. There's actually nothing really horrible about them, but they can bother small shrimp and snails and might eat fish/snail eggs.

They love shrimp pellets, pieces of meat, dead fish/shrimp and they will also eat small live creatures if they can catch them. They move on the surfaces, even under the water surface and are most active by night. If disturbed, they will retract themselves (shorter and wider), let go and drop down to the bottom.

Hydra are beautiful, but a wee bit annoying creatures. They spend their life attached to surfaces (plants, glass, filter, decoration), they can move a bit, but usually don't have the need to do that. If disturbed, they will retract their tentacles and body to small buds. They catch small creatures (copepods, Daphnia etc.) with their tentacles which can sting, making it easier for them to haul the pray in to their mouth opening. They pose no threat to adult fish, shrimp or snails (might cause some irritation if they touch the Hydra), but newborn fish and shrimp fry are in danger.

Control - (Use at your own risk) Attach a wire to each pole of a 9 volt battery. Place the ends of the wires into the tank water, as far apart as possible. If the setup is working correctly, a fine stream of bubbles should be seen from one of the wires. The Hydra will start falling after about 20 minutes. The treatment should go no longer than 3 hours, keeping an eye on conditions the whole time. A daily 50&#37; water change for 3 days is recommended since Copper leaches into the tank via one of the wires

Size: individual creatures are only a few millimetres long, the colony can be tens of centimetres long

Bryozoans are interesting colonial creatures. They look a bit like corals with the hard skeleton structure of the colony. The individual creatures, zooids, are inside their own small part of the colony and they eat small particles (phytoplankton, zooplankton) floating in the water by guiding them (and water) towards their mouth opening with the fan like tentacles. If disturbed, the zooids will retract their tentacles inside the colony walls. They are harmless and really interesting.

Springtails are cool hexapods. They are used as live food for fish that eat from the surface, for example small Betta species and labyrinth fishes. You can find them more often from soil or leaf litter than from the water surface, but once in a while they will appear on the floating aquarium plants. If disturbed, they will spring to safety releasing their "spring" (furcula) that's normally bent under their body. They can jump surprisingly far (several centimeters). Harmless and cute.

Mosquitoes will tend to lay their eggs on water surfaces which are still. Try to have some water movement at the surface for prevention of eggs laying there. One can also have some fishes in the aquarium, the fishes will find them a wonderful meal.Beetles - Coleoptera

Since it is relatively easy to tell how a beetle looks like..i won't elaborate on water beetles. There is however, one type of beetle larvae that i would like to point out, something you probably will never associate to it growing up to become a beetle since it looks so bazaar. Sometimes i find it in my pond.
Commonly known as water pennies...beetles in the family Psephenidae have aquatic larvae that look...well.. like pennies in the water.. Here are some pictures of them..

Looks pretty cool doesn't it?? And yes.. it grows up to be a beetle..
Larvae cling to the underside of rocks in fast-flowing streams and graze on algae

Next we move into the ones most aquarist will worry about...

True Bugs - Hemiptera

Lets first start of with this big fella... i don't think many of us will get this in our tanks but i'll just put it up for easy identification, just in case, one of us does.

The bug below is also commonly known as the Giant water bug and belong to the family Belostomatidae. These bugs are big!! i have seen some that are about 5- 6cm or more in the wild. They do feed on fishes and sometimes even small frogs!! so they are predatory..also if you want to catch them out of your tank...please be careful.. they do "bite" and it can be awfully painful...basically they inject you with their mouth part and pump a whole cocktail of digestive juices into your finger... doesn't sound fun does it?

Next is something very familiar..
the waterboatmen, these belong to the family Corixidae. They feed on Algae and very minute aquatic organisms..so maybe fry will not be in danger... Here is a picture of one..

Okay.. dont be confused..These next few pictures may look like water boatmen but they aren't.. they are backswimmers, family Notonectidae.
These ARE predatory so they will eat your fry.. some will also "bite" and it can also be quite painful. The difference between these guys and waterboatmen?? well.. they aren't called backswimmers for nothing.. they swim on their backs!

Lastly, to end of section 1, we have the water scorpion , family Nepidae. These also are BIG..but will rarely be found in your aquarium. However, these pictures are just in case. As you can see.. they have those raptor-like appendages that they use to hunt..so yes.. they are predatory and yes.. they will also "bite". Easily identified by the siphon they have on rear of the abdomen. They use this for air.

These comprise of dragonflies and damselflies.
The larve of these 2 insect groups live in freshwater, they are also indiscriminately predatory..so they will eat your fish and also your precious shrimp. The very very obvisous thing about these bugs is the special mouth part that they have...This separates them from other orders that have a similar body shape to them but the mouthparts are different.

This is a picture of an example of the mouthparts that can be found on dragonflies and damselflies... the one picture here is on a dragonfly..View attachment 10594
They use these like spring-loaded catapults to capture their prey at lighting speeds...looks kinda like an arm with mean jaws on the end and the whole contraption is tucked in nicely waiting to pounce...pretty cool...

Dragonfly and damselfly nymphs look rather similar... the main difference is that dragonfly nymphs do not have external gills...while damselfly nymphs do...
So after you look at the mouthpart to determind that it is one of these.. check to see if you can find external gills at the end of the abdomen... if you can.. then its a damselfly nymph..if not, then its a dragonfly nymph..
Here are examples..DragonflyView attachment 10595

These insects also have aquatic larvae, the larvae kind of resembles the dragonfly and damselfly larvae at first glance but a closer look will reveal that they are not.. They will NOT have those raptorial-like mouthparts and they feed on pieces of organic matter such as plant material or algae and debris that accumulates on rocks or other substrates in flowing water, so your fries are not in danger..which is a different story for dragonfly and damselfly larvae.

Next we have another aquatic nymph that looks like the mayfly nymph.. but it is not!! These are actually Stonefly nymphs...
Stonefly nymphs are kinda omnivorious feeding on algae, diatoms, mosses, and immature aquatic invertebrates, including mayflies and midges and so that would also include very small baby shrimp/fish.

Looks pretty similar to mayfly larve doesn't it??? so how do you tell which one you have in your tank??? Can you spot the differences??

Telling them apart

For mayflies..firstly, most of them have 3 cerci (tail like things coming out from the end of their abdomens)...although there are species with only 2 cerci, these are not that often eccountered..however, because they exist we cannot use this as a firm form of identification..but just as a rough guide..
What we are really looking for are gills and tarsal claws (claws at the end of the feet).

Mayflies usually have gills on the abdomen... where as stoneflies, have gills on the thoraic region (something like on the body??) These gills are sometimes hidden beneath or blends into the body form so you may have to look carefully.. here are examples of the differences..

This order is huge...so this is going to be brief and insufficient no matter what i do. Also identification of larvae requires more detailed information, so i'll just post pictures up to help people get a general idea of what aquatic larvae of flies look like..

Most fly larvae are so small and delicious looking that they usually end up as food for the fishes...so no real danger when you spot one.

View attachment 10608
This is what they usually build and live in when in the water.. little "homes" made of detritus.

Sub-order or Order Megaloptera - Alderflies, Dobsonflies and Fishflies

This is what probably looks most like a caterpillar to me...haha..
But these are mostly predatory..so they will eat things in your aquarium...please be aware of this fact when you see them....remove with caution.
Larvae are elongate, moderately flattened, have a distinct labrum, and measure 10-90 mm when mature. Mouth parts are of the chewing type, well developed.

Can you spot the differences??
Larvae bear lateral abdominal filaments (on segments 1-8 for fishflies and dobsonflies, and 1-7 for alderflies) and either a pair of anal prolegs (fishflies and dobsonflies) or a single caudal filament (alderflies). Dobsonflies also possess tufts of accesory tracheal gills under the lateral filaments of segments 1-7

LondonDragon: Found it interesting to spot what those critters in the tank are!!

Enjoy ]]>Fri, 22 Sep 2017 09:31:49 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bugs-you-might-encounter-in-your-aquarium.35994/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bugs-you-might-encounter-in-your-aquarium.35994/LondonDragonLondonDragon48Assasin Snails - please take
I am preparing for a house move and found that my 5 Assasins from 2012 have turned into 86 and still counting ........ I haven't cleared the sand/substrate yet.

If anyone can collect from near Diss in South Norfolk - please , take them !

I don't mind if they are sold on afterwards , I can't post or get to a LFS at the moment so was hoping some one is not to far from me and take them on.

A small tank (Dennerle 20L , no filter/light) and some cherry shrimps (though not too red and mixing with rili) , are also available if wanted , if you are taking the assasins.

JonRonView attachment 105846]]>Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:58:06 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/show-your-shrimp.50000/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/show-your-shrimp.50000/JonRonJonRon10Amano shrimp preying on Otto's?!
Both the otto's and shrimp have been with me for over 3 years. During the years it has come to me that those busy looking shrimp aren't as cute as they appear. However, I did never expect it to hunt its tankmates. The tank is quite understocked, having only 15 cardinals, 3 amano's and 5 otto's in 200L. Well, there were 5 once, but I have noticed 2 went missing, guess why...

Anyway, I will up my feeding rate as I was dosing lean for a few months. Could this be the sole cause? Anyone who could shed light on the matter is more than welcome to chime in. In any case, take this as a warning!

For some visual stimulation, the whole ordeal looked exactly like this:

View attachment 108895]]>Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:51:52 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/amano-shrimp-preying-on-ottos.50125/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/amano-shrimp-preying-on-ottos.50125/PanofskyPanofsky28Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Was thinking of adding some MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails). View attachment 106730
Read some good stuff about them esp no eggs.
Could go down the Nerite Snail route as they do look great. But dont really want sterile eggs on hardscape.

Your thoughts

Zeus]]>Fri, 08 Sep 2017 18:36:47 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/malaysian-trumpet-snails.49211/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/malaysian-trumpet-snails.49211/Zeus.Zeus.7Amanos Attacking or Breeding
]]>Thu, 07 Sep 2017 21:13:43 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/amanos-attacking-or-breeding.50318/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/amanos-attacking-or-breeding.50318/jameson_ukjameson_uk2Blackworm and Asellus buckets
Probably not really the right place for this, but I took a couple of photos of the buckets where my Blackworm (Lumbriculus variegatus) cultures are mainly residing at the moment. I've also got some bits of nano-wood soaking and plenty of spare Hornwort.

This was a very quick scoop with a net amongs the Ceratophyllum, so there are plenty of blackworms in the bucket.

I have to thank @frothhelment for the original stock, which he brought back from the USA for me.

cheers Darrel]]>Wed, 30 Aug 2017 19:53:07 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/blackworm-and-asellus-buckets.50145/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/blackworm-and-asellus-buckets.50145/dw1305dw13058First Contact ...Tue, 29 Aug 2017 20:17:31 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/first-contact.50618/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/first-contact.50618/DeanneDeanne4Shrimp behaviour
I set up my a tank for my son three weeks ago and have followed the guidelines as best as I can.
I have a Superfish Aqua65 with live plants, rocks and a branch.
We added 5 Amanos and 5 Cherries and while they have all survived so far they don't seem to be behaving like I see them do on youtube clips where they are swarming over every morsel of food.
Mine are less active though they seem relatively content. The Amanos in particular hide at the back of the tank for the most part , at least in the daytime. We have added small amounts of shrimp food but haven't seen them eat any.
The only fish we have are 5 harlequins and 5 cardinal tetras so the shrimp certainly have little to be scared of.
Water temperature is around 25.
I love shrimp and would like to add a few more but I'm just not seeing the ravenous scrums I see on the 'net.
Any advice is welcome.]]>Tue, 29 Aug 2017 06:19:11 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/shrimp-behaviour.50267/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/shrimp-behaviour.50267/Tucky BuzzardTucky Buzzard9Anyone Want Some Free Cherry Shrimp?
My cherry shrimp seem to bread like rabbits, i've already given away several batches to friends and family, but the numbers are building up again.

Thought i would see if anyone on here in the Middlesex area would like some? No charge, just need to arrange a suitable time to come and collect them.

Thanks

James]]>Thu, 17 Aug 2017 12:11:22 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/anyone-want-some-free-cherry-shrimp.50037/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/anyone-want-some-free-cherry-shrimp.50037/Jimbo1981Jimbo19817Keeping Theodoxus Fluviatilis in soft waterWed, 16 Aug 2017 17:07:24 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/keeping-theodoxus-fluviatilis-in-soft-water.36840/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/keeping-theodoxus-fluviatilis-in-soft-water.36840/frothhelmetfrothhelmet3Stunted growth in orange neocaridina
Upon introduction to the tank I had many berried females but now after about 5 months there is a definite decline in the population of young shrimp while what I see is only shrimp not reaching adult size. Could this be an indication of an overpopulated tank?

Sent from my Redmi 3 using Tapatalk]]>Mon, 31 Jul 2017 23:50:36 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/stunted-growth-in-orange-neocaridina.50416/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/stunted-growth-in-orange-neocaridina.50416/SarpijkSarpijk8Cherry shrimp in a sump?
There would be two options within the sump. The first chamber, which has multiple layers of foam, a few rocks to weigh the foam down, and contains the heater. The splashing of the water entering this chamber should ensure high oxygenation.

The second option would be the self-contained top-up chamber, which currently has RO water in it. I could add some moss balls into this chamber to give them something to cling to, and possibly an air stone. It does not have a heater.

It is worth adding that I do not currently have a light in the cabinet - but there will be some minimal ambient light during daytime that enters the cabinet via the rear.

any thoughts? Anyone else used a sump for breeding cherries?]]>Wed, 19 Jul 2017 09:21:54 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cherry-shrimp-in-a-sump.50305/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/cherry-shrimp-in-a-sump.50305/3rdTimeLucky3rdTimeLucky10Caridina Shrimp and Dosing
I set up my new tank (128 l / 34 g) about 12 Days ago and I am currently planning the stocking of the tank.

And I would like to add:
15 Paracheirodon simulans
10 - 15 Blue Bolt Shrimp

Now I am concerned about the Blue Bolt Shrimp since I dose TNC Complete on a daily basis (3 ml currently, but might increase that, once the plants are settled). I read a lot on the internet, ranging from "any no3 will kill all your caridinas" to tom barr "I tested 50 ppm on CRS with no issues and they are still breeding" (both no direct quotes ).

Do you guys have any experiences on this topic?]]>Sun, 02 Jul 2017 09:38:39 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/caridina-shrimp-and-dosing.50100/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/caridina-shrimp-and-dosing.50100/Dominik_KDominik_K4Algae Eaters
Are the any algae eating inverts or fish that i can keep with minimal water change in a planted tank? Without having eggs everywhere?

I know Nerite snails are the only snails that are male or female but i dont think i can buy just MALE Nerite snails?

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk]]>Sat, 01 Jul 2017 12:12:22 +0000https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/algae-eaters.49941/
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/algae-eaters.49941/HalilHalil14Algae Eaters
Are the any algae eating inverts or fish that i can keep with minimal water change in a planted tank? Without having eggs everywhere?

I know Nerite snails are the only snails that are male or female but i dont think i can buy just MALE Nerite snails?